The Portland daily press., 1887-12-12

we are 10 De Drought together HlcfChduto
frequently In a social capacity: l think ! speak
the sentiments Of us all when say that this Gus
tom will prove q most welcome one- Occasions
like these, besides being most agreeable In them
selves, leave such pleasant Influences after them
as go a great ways towards sOftening the asper-
our gatherings here have a deeper Significance
than mere friendly intercourse; they involve local
prosperity and name. We meet here not only
as merchants, but as Portland merchants, and II
you will pardon my depression for moment this
Is a distinction Of which we may be justly proud,
for refnber through what a trying ordeal tne
by the great fire Of 1866, that wiped out Of exist
ehce millions Of dollars worth OF property, de-
strOying the business portion Of our city; when
remember the almost heroic pluck OF these same
merchants In reeonstructing their buildings and
reestablishing their trade; when recollect their
forward to completion new lines Of transportation,
and follow along later the many years OF business
depression which resulted from the almost unin-
terrupted tread Of business distress throughout
the country, and then realize how the merchants
OF Portland have emerged out OF all these events
without a stain upon their municipal credit, with
scarcely any financial embarrassment among
themselves. and with mercantile credit standing
nneqnaed BY that q rev cites ana excensL Dg
have great reason to be proud Of the record that
they have achieved, and each one can count 10 an
honor 10 be able 10 say In the language OF the
Latin hero, aQuorum pars fui-of which / have
been part. But, gentlemen, we must NOT, ~
the pleasure OF the moment. or the satisfaction o.
the past lose sight Of the main thing, and tnat Is
that we are an organized body Of merchants Tor a
purpose. and that purpose Is principally 20 work
know that commerce does not multiply by
itself. there Is always an unaeri@yans @
sometimes the force Of location may help city
to grow iTTesstably in spite OF ITSELF but genera
ly Speaking IL Is the concentrated energy OF the
grow, great care must be taken TO guard every
avenue Of our trade. Just now important ehang-
es are transprlng in this and neighooTing ctless
being tapped. Are we considering how all these
changes VIII bear upon the prosperity Of our city,
and If adverse, how they are to be eounteraeted.
Elevators and terminal facilities are required In
order to hadle the business OF the Northwest
that would naturally flow In our direction. one
of the chief difficulties that was experienced In
negotiating with the Pacific and the other lines
that come here lies In the lack OF terminal trans
shipments; these must be arranged and provided
before we can hope to have large amount OF
their business. just now an International Com
mission is being held to formulate treaty which
involves some OF our most Important interests
in the iisneries; we awake 20 our privileges In
this direction. The question OF commercial I'M
ion to Canada Is being agitated are we studying y =,
right action when the proper time comes A
great impetus Is being given 10 different sections
thither b by 4 Inc climate and beautiful seen
cry of mountains and coast; favored as our
city Is by the natural location, which Is unsur.
passed for the summer tourist, are we using al
proper means to renderit available and Insure
our share Of this tide OF prosperity. Every now
and then we hear from the different portions o.
should be held at Portland rather than elsewhere.
and the disposition crops out to restore the Capi
interest in the subject and have we forgotten
that nature furnished US with the elevation on the
Western Promenade where the state Capital can
most easily be erected with the same taxes 70 tne
state, ana which all persons coming In and out OF
the State, via Portland, can see2 so 1 might 90
on generally enumeratng dlneTent tlea, qnes
me, but you win let me sum Il up 81 saying tnat
our organization should stand like faithful guar
dian watching over the business interests OF our
city resisting with its sustaining strength every
tendency to decay and impair the enthusiasm and
vgor towards every impulse Tor the better deVei-
opment Of our resources. loud appiause).
President Blabon spoke Of the pleasure ex-
perienced in having the Collector Of the Port
present and called upon Gen. S. ]. Anderson
whose rising was greeted with much APP
plause.
Mr. President and Gentlemen Of the BOARD Of
As there are about 200 persons here tonight
and every man has got good speech Inn, " his head
occupy will devote substantially 70 the matter
which has been suggested by your President
relate thereto The question whether we should
have more elevators here In Portland has been
mooted for long time, and has been the subject
differ somewhat, perhaps, from the views as IN.
trOduced by the President In regard to the neees-
Stationary elevators At the present time Il may
be suggested that we shall have but little need OF
any elevator. 4 the purpose q the steamers az
lines now running TO Portland will, at the end OF
this month leave here and make their terminus
at Baltimore. 1t has been stated IN the papers,
| that. according TO the interviews had upon the
subject. the want OF elevators IS the reason Tor
this that wish 20 correct, as l understand au
thoritatively that this has nothing 70 do with the
removal Of the steamers from this port; it Is a
matter Of disagreement between the steamers
ne be irs trsnspopaton Of the western produce IN
hand. We have here an elevator now which mas
been all that was suficielent for the business
1 which came here for a stationary elevator II
has a capacity Of lac. 900 bushels OF grain. The
4 ordinary average grain freight Of the steamers
| that come INTO This port is about $4,000 bushels
| and this elevator holds enough 10 load three
steamers, practically; there has never been time
when, on account Of space In the elevator, there
There may be one thing which will Interfere. II
the elevator haDens TO be filled with grain deslg-
mated for particular place, as II all the grain
In the elevator was designated for steamers to go
TO Glasgow or London or some other port, there
might be diflcuty in Its having to remain there
until the elevator was partially empfied- Except
this there can be no dlflculty with all the grain
| that comes for transportation in the winter.
men p:1oe SPEAK advisedly when Say the line has
what the Canadians call the ''soft matter put out
We have the announcement Of the opening Of the
Pacific line from the Atlantic TO the Pacific. We
have then, today, you may say that 9, route open
can say further that In connection with that there
| Is freight line and you must remember, that In
these times the mere matter OF railroad does
net determine the whole question Of distribution.
| The Canadian Pacific has now line connect,
Ing with Boston, ,Ss Pos,Iard SsT fork ocds5sl sne
/ burg have cars In that line. Now, that
/ line has one terminus In Portland, but II Is not
necessary for the Canadian Paene to- 70 nave two w.
rangements for freight 10 be shipped and carried
rapidly. But unless there are facilities IN Fort
| land for shipment OF grain to Europe and for the
| transfer Of other goods ana merchandise, there
cannot be very great amount OF that business
done mere ~ sTsn sns and oes arteIes tat
would come here for transfer 70 the Provinces
would come through that line, but until necessary
nents made BY the Canadian Pacific, or any other
lines that run over the Pacific, for the ransp0rtar
tion Of merchandise that comes ossr sne wssSr
to connect with that railroad. it requires no!
only an elevator, but wharyes. docks and yard
room In order to receive and take care the ears
that would come to bring any considerable amount
OF merchandise and until such arrangement =
made we cannot expect any large amount 1i Pus 81
reiv upon the corporations In existence, OF which
| the Portland & Ogdensburg s one 70 furnish
transportation for any merchandise that they may
| hiring. and we may as we'll make up our minds
that III we would have that road as a connecting
line from ocean to ocean, we must @ t1rash M s1Sa ,e
facilities, and that this VIII not DC uohe ny ho
| rs ii necessary 70 expend large amounts on ele.
vators? / know that our president feels so, and
know that the men OF the Board OF Trade think
so. Montreal, which does large amount OF work
in the summer season, depends entirely upon noat-
ing elevators, which can be constructed az com
pafativelv small cost, and can do the business as
well as any elevators, as they can allow the run
ming up of several steamships 10 set then Irelght
| Take Portland and our elevator A steamer
comes here with cargo; she has got 70 take tnat
cargo out before she can take her freght 70 go on
| she can only take part OF that out at time sne
/ goes to the wharf and discharges part OF her
cargo: then goes to the elevator and takes In a
1 porfion: then goes back to the wharf and dis
charges the remainder Of her cargo then goes Y
the elevator and finishes loading. She cannot a.
II All AZ once for the vessel must have enough ~
keep her balasted. The result is loss o. time
1 and somewhat OF risk uness1t Is very smooth. IL
is mot easy 10 handle these ships and Il sometimes
| fakes a day TO get her around But would y pay
n we had floating elevators, with two or three
lighters which would hold 10000 bushels EACH 2
A'tug would take the elevator 70 the ship, and
while the vessel was being loaded from one side
she could be discharging from the other, and y
would also Obyiate the hazard which now attends
such operations. Now, every day that one Ot
these steamers Is detained here Is hazard 70 the
steamer; II you can facilitate IN that way you
will do more than you could by Dullding announcer
elevator II you build one 50 that you can get ot-
| er steamers to the wharf, you wouid then meet
this objection, and you would accom-
piish YOUR purpose; but II would be done
elevator for from $4,000 70 $4,000 could be
bnilt. and then the advantage would be II the
Grand Trunk made arrangements that would
a IL Ia reH "A m hV